Drum or container or storage tank for oil or other liquids



Oct. 22', 1935. I T. o. owmes 2,018,316

DRUM OR CONTAINER OR STORAGE TANK FOR OIL OR OTHER LIQUIDS Filed-Se t. 22, 1933 Z8 Z4 Z8 illlullwlllllllllllll 30 E55 3% gig;

i ylillililllzylllilii A; :ORNEYS Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE DRUM OR CONTAINER OR STORAGE TANK FOR OIL OR OTHER LIQUIDS 3 Claims.

This invention is allied to the invention disclosed in my patent, Serial No. 1,931,007, dated October 1'7, 1933 and is designed to accomplish the same general object.

The present invention relates to drums or tanks in which oil or similar liquid is delivered to dealers or managers of oil stations and also to the reservoir tanks such as are used at filling stations to store gasoline.

An object of the present invention is to so construct the drum or container that it will be practically impossible for the dealer or seller to refill the drum or container with inferior or spurious oil or other liquid. 7

My invention consists in providing the drum or container with a feed pipe through which it is to be filled and in furnishing the feed pipe with a plug or closure placed at a substantial distance from the outer end of the feed pipe and having a suitable projection or equivalent device adapted to register with a suitable key, by means of which the plug or closure can be removed when the drum or tank is to be filled. The drum or tank cannot be filled without removing the plug .or closure and this can be done only by one having a key adapted to register with the plug or closure. In my co pending application, the same pipe is used for filling and emptying the drum or container, a check valve being inserted in that pipe provided with a removable cap which can be removed by a suitable key. The present invention is intended to cover a construction in which one pipe is used for filling and a separate pipe is used for emptying the drum or container, although it :may be used where a single pipe is employed for these two purposes.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of an oil drum embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the buttom of the feed pipe showing a side view of the plug or closure;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the lower end of the key in engagement with the plug in position to remove the plug;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view looking down on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the key;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the plug with the key applied thereto, the same being made on lines 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is an elevational view of the key; and

Fig. 8 is a side view of a storage tank embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, I is an ordinary oil drum or container. This container is provided with a feed tube 28 which is attached at its upper end in any suitable way to the top of the oil drum. The feed tube extends downwardly a considerable distance and is provided at its lower 5 end with a wall 28a having a screw-threaded opening in the middle. 29 is a plug having a screw-threaded projection at its lower end adapted to be screwed into the opening in the wall 28a. 30 is a discharge tube supported on the inside of the drum and provided with some form of check valve 3! at its lower end. 4 is a pump of any construction by means of which oil can be discharged from the drum. This pump is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1. The construction of this pump is no part of this invention. It is adapted to be screwed into the upper part of the discharge tube.

The construction of the plug or closure is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6. The plug 29 is provided with a screw-threaded portion at its lower end adapted to screw into the opening in the wall 28a of the feed tube. I I is a groove in the upper part of the plug by means of which the key can be connected to the plug as hereinafter explained. The head of the plug is made hexagonal as shown or in any other shape to enable it to engage with the lower end of the key and be turned thereby.

I3 is a key for removing the plug or closure. This key consists of a stem I4 having a handle I5 at the top and a socket piece I6 at the bottom provided with a recess adapted to fit over the top of the removable plug. This socket piece is provided with three projections I1 adapted to guide the key when it is inserted in the feed tube 28. One of these projections I1 is provided with a central hole as shown in Fig. 3 in which a pin I8 is arranged to be moved back and forth so that the inner end of the pin may engage with the groove II in the plug. The pin is pressed inwardly by a coil spring 20 placed in the hole in the projection II which spring can be adjusted by the nut 2I which is adapted to be screwed into the outer end of the hole or aperture in the pro jection II. The stem I4 of the key is made hollow so that it has a central passage as shown in Fig. 3

to receive the pin 22 which is adapted to be moved up and down in the key for purposes hereinafter explained. The upper end of the pin 22 is provided with a handle 23. The drum or tank 5 is preferably provided with a suitable vent 24 to permit the inflow of air when the oil is being removed from the drum.

In Fig. 8, I have shown my invention applied to an ordinary storage tank used in connection 5 shown diagrammatically as it is no with filling stations. 28 is the Iced tube. 32 1s an ordinary tank or container for the gasoline.

I 29 is the plug whichis constructed as shown in is a cap or cover with which the upper end of the feedtube is closed after the drum or tank has been filled. It isconstructed to be screwed into place in the ordinary way.

3'3 is the discharge pump or apparatus for discharging the gasoline from the storage tank 32. This is made in the ordinary way and is part of my invention.

Theoperation of my invention is as follows:

When the drum shown in Fig. 1 or the tank shown in Fig. 8 is to be filled, the dealer or operator unscrews the cover 25 and inserts the key in the tube 28, The lower end oi! the key is guided in the tube by the projections I! and by being turned part of a revolution will cause the socket at its lower end to engage with the projection on the upper part 01 the plug. When the key is pressed down on the plug, thepin' l8, the inner end of which is rounded, will slip over the top oi. the plug and into the groove I I. The key is then turned so as to unscrew the plug from the supporting wall or collar. 'I'he'key is'then removed from the feed tube, bringing with it the plug,

after which the drum or tank can be filled with a fresh supply of the genuine oil or gasoline. After the drum or tank has been filled, the key holding theblock at its lower end is re-inserted into the tube 28'and the removable plug is screwed into the wall at the end of the tube or into the collar. The key is then removed. In order to prevent the lifting of the plug when this is done, the rod 22 is pressed downwardly in the key so as to bear on the top of the plug while the stem of the key is beingraisedV In this way, the pin I8 will be caused to slip past the edge of the groove in the plug and the plug will be prevented from rising. When the pin has slipped out of the groove and over the top of the plug, the key can be removed without difliculty.

The cover 25 is then screwed in place and the drum or reservoir tank is ready Ior use.

As a result of the use of this device, it will be impossible for anyone to fill the drum or tank unless he has a suitable key. To prevent unauthorized people from removing the plug by using a similar key, the key and plug are provided with suitable registering devices as a result of which no key will work unless it is especially constructed for the particular form of plug em ployed. Such a device is shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6. The plug is provided with a pin 21 which is adapted to register with and project into a hole 5 26 in the socket member of the key. In this construction, when the key is inserted to remove the plug, it must be turned in the tube 28 until the pin 21 enters the hole 26.

My invention is especially applicable to drums 10 or containers used for selling oil or gasoline but it is obvious that these drums or containers may be used for any liquid.

I claim? a 1. The combination with a drum or container, 15 of a separate feed pipe connected with the drum or container, a plug or closure mounted in the feed pipe a considerable distance from the outer end thereof, and a key adapted'to be inserted in the i'eed pipe and to engage with the plug or 20 closure whereby the plug or closure may be removed and the drum or container re-filled, and a separate discharge pipe soconstructed that the liquid may be discharged therethrough but can not be fed into the drum therethrough.

2. The combination with a drum or container, or a separate reed pipe connected with the drum or container, a plug or closure mounted in the feed pipe a considerable distance from the outer end thereof, and a key adapted to be inserted in 30 the feed pipe and to engage with the plug or closure whereby the plug or closure may be removed and the drum or container re-filled, and a separate discharge pipe provided with a check valve so that the liquid can be discharged there- 35 through but cannot be forced to flow in the other direction so as to fill the drum.

3. The combination with a, drum orcontainer of a separate feed pipe connected with the drum or container, a plug or closure provided with a 0 screw thread at its lower end adapted to screw. into an opening in the reed pipe, a considerable distance from the outer end thereof, and a key adapted to be inserted in the feed pipe and to engage with said plug whereby the plug can 46 be unscrewed and removed and the tank filled through the reed pipe and the plug can then be replaced, the plug and the key having parts adapted to fit into and register with each other whereby the plug can be removed only by a key 

